American Archive Content Inventory ProjectObjective
The objective of this RFP is to solicit proposals for individuals and/or organizations to be available as SWAT (Saving What America Treasures) Teams for the American Archive Content Inventory Project (CIP). These SWAT Teams will conduct training and on-site content inventories at public media archives nationwide.
The CIP has identified 8 (eight) specific locations that hold public media content and require a SWAT Team to conduct an inventory (list attached as Exhibit “A”). This will be the second of many anticipated SWAT Team deployments. We will accept proposals to inventory records at one location, multiple locations, or all locations.
Background
The television and radio archives of American public media are scattered throughout the nation. To ensure that our audio and visual materials are safe and accessible, and to help us set priorities for restoration, preservation, and digitization of public media’s legacy, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is conducting a system-wide inventory of public media “assets.” Comparable to a census, the CIP aims to create a one-off, comprehensive inventory of public media assets.
The CIP manager – WGBH – is coordinating the gathering of this data into one comprehensive database of public media assets. This database will be delivered to CPB as the basis for the preservation and digitization of existing analog content ensuring that public media’s legacy is preserved and made accessible for future generations. Some organizations may not have the staff or expertise to fully participate in the inventory initiative. Our aim is to provide support to enable organizations to submit the most comprehensive inventory possible to the American Archive Content Inventory Project.
Additional CIP background is available at: http://americanarchiveinventory.org/.
Definition: SWAT Teams
SWAT teams are support teams comprised of archivists, librarians, and/or interns from higher education programs such as library science, archiving, or history. A SWAT team will visit organizations holding public media assets and carry out an inventory of the collection on behalf of that organization. They will gather any existing electronic or paper records, align them with CIP required fields, and deliver them to WGBH. Paper records will need to be converted to the electronic CIP fields. In addition they will conduct an inventory of materials not previously represented in existing records. New records will be created solely based on the data physically attached to the objects, as well as the physical format of the item. These new records will be aligned with the required CIP fields and delivered to WGBH. The inventory does not require nor recommend any actual listening or viewing of the content of the materials.
The SWAT teams will be the eyes on the ground, quickly and accurately assessing the content within these collections, and providing support and encouragement to our public media partners..
- Assets: Assets are films, tapes, or digital files that are more than one year old and which contain public media content. Any assets containing national programming that is in active distribution will not be inventoried. To date, inventory counts at individual locations range from approximately 2500 assets to 400,000 assets.
Scope of Work
CIP SWAT Team Initiative is expected to occur over a continuous 6-month period, commencing April 2011. Time spent at any location will be dictated by the quantity of assets held at the location. SWAT teams will be deployed to assigned organizations that are requesting help, or to organizations that have not yet responded to the request for inventory funding.
SWAT teams will visit entities holding public media content throughout the United States to:
- consolidate all existing inventory records (paper or electronic).
- create new records for assets that have no existing inventory record.
SWAT teams will initiate contact with stations on their assigned list to:
- Assure there is adequate workspace for the inventory to take place.
- Assure that station staff is willing to be available for questions and help locating materials.
- Schedule time to work on-site to conduct the inventory.
Once on-site, the SWAT teams will:
- Gather, update, export and upload existing inventory records to the CIP website.
- Create electronic records to represent content not previously inventoried within a collection. Using the CIP inventory form or another application, collect the minimum required fields (Exhibit B).
- Work with the CIP manager and station staff in order to successfully migrate existing electronic records for delivery to WGBH.
- We estimate that individuals on professional SWAT teams can process 15 records per hour. However, the budget should account for any start-up and orientation time, and should have isolated budget calculations to consolidate existing inventory records from assigned locations.
All assets must be inventoried on-site. No asset may be removed from a host organization’s collection without express written permission from that organization. All assets must be handled in a careful manner to avoid damage.
Deliverables
- Immediately following arrival at a designated inventory site, a brief 1 page written report with photos must be submitted to WGBH to provide an on-location assessment of the collection, confirm assumptions, estimate the time needed to complete the inventory, and outline any issues anticipated.
- 2 written reports providing detailed steps taken and advice given will be required. This must include a list of locations visited, people contacted and trained, and a list of corresponding dates. First report due at contract midpoint, and second report due at the end of the contract.
- Complete electronic inventory of each organization’s archival public media content in compliance with the minimum requirements as set in the CIP sample inventory form (Exhibit B).
- Teams may use the FilemakerPro or web template issued by the CIP manager, or software packages such as Excel, in consultation with the CIP manager.
- Inventory will be an accurate item level assessment including information pertaining to both physical and digital attributes.
- Delivery of a copy of the electronic inventory of their assets to the host organization.
Eligibility Requirements
- Archivists, librarians, information specialists, or others with a background in moving images and public media.
- A background in audio or moving image archiving is preferred.
- Teams must demonstrate ability to accurately process large numbers of assets within a fixed time.
- Teams must be available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
- All team members must have strong computer skills; knowledge of XML preferred.
- Demonstrated experience with information organizing software such as FilemakerPro or Microsoft Excel and the ability to input data quickly and effectively.
Teams will be awarded a fixed sum of money to cover their assignments.
Evaluation Criteria
I. Ability to process inventory
- accuracy, organization, speed
- number of assets identified
II. Quality of team
- experience/performance of lead archivist
- experience/performance of support staff
III. Availability of team
- on-call readiness, preparation
IV. Cost
- reasonable budget, reflective of region/expected expenses
Application
The application has five required parts, and must be submitted no later than March 28, 2011.
Information should, where applicable, be specific to the 24 locations identified in the attachment, and include the following:
I. Narrative
- A two-page narrative detailing expertise and suitability for the project. This document will identify who will be on the team, and whether students or volunteers will be utilized.
II. Work Plan
- A work plan and timeline to demonstrate ability to inventory an organization’s physical moving image and audio materials rapidly, thoroughly, and accurately.
III. Matrix
- Document containing matrix of expected asset-processing throughput.
IV Resumes
- Two-page resume for the lead member of each team.
- One-page resume for the assistant(s) of each team.
V. Budget specific to the inventory of one or more of the organizations outlined in Exhibit A.
Please send all applications to: aainventory@wgbh.org with “SWAT Proposal” in the subject line.
For more information please contact:
Courtney Michael
CIP Project Manager
617–300-2673
courtney_michael@wgbh.org
CPB Terms
The closing date for responses to this RFP is March 28, 2011. Proposals submitted in response to this RFP by an applicant (“Offeror”) shall be valid for at least 90 days following the closing date of proposals.
Proposals shall be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the Offeror’s proposals to meet the requirements of this RFP. Neither multiple nor alternate proposals will be accepted. An Offeror should give specific attention to the clear identification of those portions of its proposal that it considers confidential, proprietary commercial information or trade secrets.
The selected Offeror shall be responsible for all products and services required by this RFP. Subcontractors must be identified and a complete description of their role relative to the proposals must be included in the Offeror’s proposals.
By submitting an offer in response to this RFP, an Offeror, if selected for award, shall be deemed to have accepted the terms of this RFP. Any exceptions to this RFP must be clearly identified in the proposal. A proposal that takes exception to these terms may be rejected.
As part of the RFP review process, CPB may share materials, data, other information and analyses (collectively, “Information”) with Offerors. As a condition of receiving such Information, Offerors responding to this RFP shall be deemed to agreed to protect, preserve and maintain all such Information on a strictly confidential basis, and to promptly return to CPB upon its request all tangible copies of such Information in your possession.
CPB is not responsible for loss or damage to material submitted with or in support of this RFP. Any submission to CPB shall become the property of CPB (not including any intellectual property rights contained in such submission), and CPB is not required to return any submitted materials to any Offeror. CPB is not responsible for any violation of copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or other rights that may result from disclosure made by response to this RFP.
Solicitation by CPB of proposals does not constitute an agreement by CPB to extend funding to any party for the project under consideration. CPB may, in its sole discretion, elect not to pursue this project in any manner.
By submitting a proposal, each Offeror grants to CPB the right to duplicate, use, disclose, and distribute all of the materials submitted for purposes of evaluation, review, and research. In addition, each Offeror guarantees that the Offeror has full and complete rights to all of the information and materials included in the proposal. Each Offeror also guarantees that all such materials are not defamatory and do not infringe upon or violate the privacy rights, copyrights, or other proprietary rights of any third party.
Conditions of Agreement
If a proposal in response to this RFP is selected for funding, Offerors will be required to sign a binding agreement. Until both parties have signed an agreement, no express or implied commitment has been made to provide financial support. Offerors are not authorized to commence work until the agreement is fully executed. If Offerors opt to commence work, they do so at their own risk. No oral or written statement other than the signed, written agreement will govern or modify the relationship.
As a condition of agreement, Offerors must guarantee that, among other things, any work they undertake on behalf of CPB is not defamatory and will not violate or infringe upon the privacy rights, copyrights, or other proprietary rights of any third party. Offerors must also agree to indemnify CPB against any loss resulting from breach of any of the guarantees contained in the agreement.
Those receiving funds from CPB must be able to comply with a number of requirements that will be included in the operative agreement. These requirements include but are not limited to:
(1) A demonstration of adequate financial support to complete the work for which they have been contracted and to deliver reports and/or other intellectual property created pursuant to the Agreement;
(2) Maintenance, for 10 years following receipt of relevant funds, of all financial records to the project, which records shall be accessible to CPB, and to the U.S. Comptroller General or other representatives for examination and audit purposes. (Offerors will additionally ensure that any subcontractors or consultants under the agreement shall also maintain such records for the period specified and under the same terms);
(3) Maintenance, for 10 years after approval of a final financial report, of a complete file of all subcontracts and other agreements, licenses, clearances, and other documents related to the work undertaken, copies of which shall be made available to CPB on request;
(4) Submission to CPB of a copy of any U.S. Comptroller General final audit report in connection with the project;
(5) Compliance with equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination laws and policies;
(6) Offerors will be required to provide documentation as to actual costs, and provide supporting detail demonstrating that all costs are reasonable, necessary and allocable to the requirements and objectives of the work undertaken; and
(7) All research and materials created, developed, compiled or produced pursuant to or as a result of this project (including but not limited to all reports) will be considered ordered and commissioned by CPB as works made for hire under the copyright laws, and made in the course of services rendered. If, for any reason, the proposed research and materials to be provided are not considered works made for hire under the copyright laws, then the Offeror will be required to assign all right, title and interest in and to such research and materials to CPB. Offerors further agree that neither they, nor any of their subcontractors, will have any copyrights or other intellectual property rights whatsoever in any research and/or materials created, developed, compiled or produced by them or by any subcontractor, or by any third party participating in the preparation of research or materials for this project.
(8) The agreement will be governed by construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
Other material terms and provisions will be set forth in the documents provided to the Offeror that successfully completes the selection process.
CPB will have complete rights to the reports created as deliverables for this project.
CPB will not be responsible for any costs incurred by an Offeror in preparing and submitting a proposal, or in performing any other activities relative to this solicitation.
